This book investigates why intellectual property governance remains a site of intense global contestation, focusing on the underlying distributional inequalities and legitimacy crises inherent in the current regime. Susan K. Sell, a scholar in international political economy, utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to analyze how power dynamics and institutional strategies shape international policy. By examining the fragmented nature of global forums, she argues that the complexity of the current system is not accidental but a result of deliberate manipulation by competing stakeholders. The text provides a robust analytical framework that explains how these power struggles influence outcomes in intellectual property and other global regulatory domains.

Experts recognize this work as a critical contribution to the study of international political economy and global governance. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the text, which serves as a foundational resource for understanding the intersection of law, power, and policy.